Various devices have been made for releasing a single glove from a vacuum chamber. Among these patents are U.S. Pat. No. 3,695,493 of Karr, disclosing an apparatus for alternately donning and removing a single glove within a vacuum chamber, U.S. Pat. No. 4,069,913 of Harrigan for a package for donning a single surgical glove, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,889,266 of Wight for an apparatus which removes a single glove from a disposable single use package.
Applicant's U.S. Pat. No. 5,269,405 discloses a container for sequentially dispensing a single glove from a plurality of gloves placed inside each other, wherein a vacuum holds the plurality of gloves intact in an open position for insertion of a hand therein. However, applicant's U.S. Pat. No. 5,269,405 does not describe a glove-shaped package, with individual finger portions, so that the five fingers can remain expanded or enlarged to allow the hand of the user to be loosely inserted, thereby obviating the need for powder as a lubricant to aid in sliding the glove on.
Other related patents include U.S. Pat. No. 685,574 of Conboie which shows a hand-shaped case, but for an unrelated use in mortuaries.
The patent to Breulis, U.S. Pat. No. 1,938,685 shows a somewhat bulb-shaped cavity for applying a surgical glove. The cuff of the glove is stretched over the opening of the cavity.
The patent to Violette, U.S. Pat. No. 2,741,410 shows a rack for removing gloves that may be wall mounted.
The patent to Smith, U.S. Pat. No. 2,886,8245 shows a rubber glove having a tapered wrist shape.
The patent to Schindler, U.S. Pat. No. 3,852,826 shows a surgical glove which is sterilized using radiation.
The patent to Stager, U.S. Pat. No. 4,186,445 shows a glove having a mylar outer coating and a polymer foam inner coating.
The Pat. Nos. 4,310,928 to Joung and 4,851,266 of Momose show talc free surgical gloves.
The patent to Elenteny, U.S. Pat. No. 4,696,065 shows a single peel-away multi-layer glove. No powder is used between the layers. This glove has a slight taper at the wrist portion.
The patent to Richardson, U.S. Pat. No. 5,224,221 describes a single glove which is two layers, one inside the other, with the space between them evacuated.
However, none of the above patents disclose an apparatus for donning one of a plurality of gloves within a glove-shaped vacuum chamber.